Pujols reaches 695 HRs, Mikolas goes 8 in Cards’ win vs Cubs

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols collected house run No. 695 within the eighth inning and Miles Mikolas tossed eight shutout innings to guide the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Pujols drilled the two-run, pinch-hit shot off reliever Brandon Hughes (2-2).

A possible future Corridor of Famer, Pujols trails solely Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Alex Rodriguez (696) on the all-time house run listing.

Pujols has seven pinch-hit homers in his profession, together with two this season. He has homered towards 451 completely different pitchera, an all-time report.

The 42-year-old jumped on an 0-1 providing.

“It’s simply fairly particular to have the ability to try this,” Pujols mentioned. “There’s some nights that you simply’re going to return by and a few nights that you simply don’t. The nights that you simply do, you simply take pleasure in it. And that’s what I’m going to take pleasure in tonight.”

Tommy Edman began the rally with a one-out double.

“I used to be 100% assured that he was going to discover a option to drive me in,” Edman mentioned. “As loopy as it’s, we simply anticipate that to occur now. He’s the very best right-handed hitter of our era.”

Pujols, in his final season, has discovered a option to come by in dramatic trend all season lengthy.

“There’s occasions on this sport the place you are taking a step again from being locked into the sport and also you get to be a fan for a minute, and expertise it the best way everybody else is,” St. Louis supervisor Oliver Marmol mentioned. “That was certainly one of them. You are taking all of it in as a result of what he’s doing is completely unimaginable.”

Pujols hit his one hundred and thirtieth profession house run on Sundays, probably the most of any day.

Chicago supervisor David Ross indicated that he would have walked Pujols if Hughes obtained behind within the rely.

“You’ve obtained to belief your guys,” Ross mentioned. “Wished to assault Albert. He simply left one over the center.”

St. Louis has gained 4 in a row, 18 of its final 20 house video games and is a season-best 24 video games over .500 at 79-55. It was the Cardinals’ eighth sequence sweep of the season.

Chicago has misplaced seven of eight.

Mikolas (11-10) gave up two hits. He struck out three and walked one. Ryan Helsley earned his thirteenth save in 17 probabilities.

Chicago starter Marcus Stroman allowed 4 hits in seven shutout innings. He struck out 5 and didn’t stroll a batter in a 98-pitch stint.

The beginning of the sport was delayed 1 hour, 28 minutes by rain.

HOMETOWN HERO

Boston Celtics standout Jayson Tatum, a St. Louis native, threw out the primary pitch. Tatum performed highschool basketball at Chaminade Faculty Prep, positioned 14 miles from Busch Stadium.

QUICK GETAWAY

The Cardinals have scored 91 runs within the first inning, second to the Los Angeles Dodgers with 95.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: C Willson Contreras missed the sport with a sore left foot. He suffered the damage Tuesday towards Toronto.

Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz will make a rehab begin on Tuesday at Double-A Springfield. He has been out since Aug. 8 with a left knee sprain.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Wade Miley (1-0, 2.84 ERA) will begin on Tuesday because the Cubs start a six-game homestand by internet hosting Cincinnati. Miley has been out since June 11 with a left shoulder pressure. RHP Justin Dunn (1-2, 4.63) will begin for the Reds.

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-0, 5.63) will face Washington RHP Anibal Sanchez (1-5, 5.05) within the first of a four-game sequence on Monday afternoon in St. Louis. Flaherty has been out since June 27 with a proper shoulder pressure. He made 5 rehab begins within the minors.

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